• ‘Adeleke’s government breached all agreements, I can’t stand where there’s no honesty’
Ex-state coordinator of campaign group for Governor Ademola Adeleke during the 2022 Osun governorship election, Kehinde Raji, speaks with TOBA ADEDEJI about Osun State politics, his philanthropist gestures, and other issues of public interest.
Before the 2022 governorship election in Osun State, you were a convener of a support group named ‘Imoleans’ which thousands of youth belonged to promote the campaign of the incumbent governor, but now it appears you are not on good terms after Adeleke was sworn in, What happened?
Before the election, we were on the same track because of what we all agreed on, but as soon as they got to the government, people started showing their true colours, and I have a very humble beginning, I don’t fight for money or position. Before the government got to power, I started an ‘Imoleans,’ it was all over, fully funded by myself, not one naira from anybody, I was propagating the vision and mission of Senator Ademola Adeleke.
We did that for months, millions went into it, and they saw it, nobody commended me for what I was doing. When they got to power the next thing I saw was blackmail. I can’t fight over money, I’m blessed. Before I met them, God had already blessed me. I had made a name before they met me… but it’s just a difference in political ideology.
Have you pitched your tent against the Adeleke, and now with the APC ?
I’m so neutral; I’m not with any political party!
Hope is not because they did not give you contracts?
It has nothing to do with that, they also know that. No contractor in this state has spent the money I spent on the party. They know themselves. When it comes to that, it’s just a game of ideology.
I don’t regret the interview I granted on Rave FM, June 26th, 2023 because by November everyone started saying what I said that I won’t conspire in my life against my people to support any political party. The mandate that the people gave, conditions were attached to that mandate, that is what I will always protect, and if you are saying you’ll do otherwise, then I’ll just have to excuse you.
Honestly, the Governor is my very good brother, I respect him so much. I have nothing against his personality. I just think the political ideologies differ, and I differ with the people around him.
If I see them today, I greet them. I would never deceive people, if I promise I’ll do this, I’ll do it. In the empowerment projects that we’ve been doing, once I tell you that this is what I’ll give you, it’s what I’ll give you.
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Will you now say that this present government breached the agreement they had with you during the campaign?
Totally! Totally!
In what ways? They know the agreement between us but today is not the day we would talk about that. They’ve breached it so there’s no point talking about it. I wish them well, I’m not fighting anybody, I can’t just stand where there’s no honesty. We need to be very honest with ourselves. If you have the fear of the Lord, then do what is right.
Are you now saying there is dishonesty in the camp of Adeleke?
I’m just being expressive. There is a limit to what you can allow. I don’t know how to lie. Politicians love to lie. It’s a normal thing for them but that is not for me.
Why should I lie to you? You can’t kill me and you are not my God, so it is only God that I fear. I respect people, I don’t fear anybody. I’ll say it to your face, what you are doing is wrong and that has helped me in life.
There are insinuations that you have political ambition and that a certain political party is sponsoring you, How true is this?
They should come out with proof! No bank in this country or outside this country thay would say I owe them N1. I cut my coat according to size that’s why they call me ‘Kejebu.’ I’m not impressing anybody, the insinuations are not true. I’ve been employing people since 2012 and I started from this state, investing in the general welfare of the people. Politicians will come out with all sorts of things, let them go, and bring a single piece of evidence.
The reason why most of them have such belief is by virtue of my philanthropic activities with the people, it attracts people to me. Across all the local governments in this state now, I can open it to you, we have over 56,000 registered members. That’s huge! apart from the illiterates who don’t have access to Android phones, so they know, so when it’s time for an election, they come and meet me for support and I tell them, I’m not a card-carrying member of any political party and I’ve never told anyone of you that I’m ready to contest for any political position. All I do is, I think this man is good, let us support him but when you get there please do this for our people, support them, engage them in whatever you are doing. Ask any one of them, I’ve never asked for any political appointment. I’m a civil engineer who owns my construction firm. It is just so unfortunate that my philanthropic activities made me have a lot of followers and are now a threat to them when they get to power.
You are a promoter of Osogbo agenda, do you think that Adeleke is fair to Osogbo with his developmental strides?
In all honesty, Governor Ademola Adeleke has a four-year mandate, and for now, he’s spent less than 18 months so for me to answer that question, I’ll allow him to be there for 18 months or two years, then I can rate him. By law, I’m entitled to my opinion and I’m entitled to tell you this is what you are doing that you need to work on. We’ll criticize and we will advise but for now, I’m a neutral man.
There are insinuations that you are now in the camp of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, is this true?
It is not true! It is normal, people will come, these so-called politicians… Next year they will come, they will come for your support and start begging, once they know you have people around you. Insinuations like these are normal, it is a political gimmick. It can not stand, people know better.
In the interview you granted a radio station last year, you raised concerns about the issue of governance and power in Osun State, what happened?
When I went for that interview, most people didn’t have the information I had but now everybody knows better, you know who is in charge of the state. You know who and who are ruling us, it’s clear!
Then who is in charge of the state?
I don’t even know!
What informed your gesture toward your philanthropy gesture to residents of Osun State?
Araj Empowerment Foundation is a quarterly programme, for this quarter we programmed the vulnerable which are called Kejebu. In January we gave out N10 million to 200 beneficiaries who are nano traders to support their businesses. Since the removal of fuel subsidies, prices of things have gone up and many people have started having challenges. In our contribution to alleviating such challenges, we decided to give them interest-free loans. Within the last few months, they have been able to make a repayment of 25%. We distributed another set and 31 of them got the money.
We observed over time that there are some aged politicians, they’ve been in politics for about 40, or 50 years and they’ve not made anything in politics. Some of them don’t even have personal houses, they live in rented apartments and the ones who got houses, you can’t even sit and eat inside their living rooms. So, we decided to support them, renovate their houses, and for those who are yet to build, we build for them at least a self-contained, room and a parlour so that they can have somewhere they can call theirs.
We still gave them money so that they could be happy people.
Thirdly, we have a community development drive, we have groups that we think we should support like Spare-part sellers and many others including the youths that we are supporting their business. A lot of them have locked up their shops because of financial challenges so we decided to support them, and give them bulk money so that they can help nano traders.
This foundation has coordinators across the state who have been the engine room for touching lives across the local government areas of the state. How much have you disbursed within 2024 to the vulnerable and nano traders?
About N50 million have been disbursed in 2024!
What is the total number of people that have benefitted from your gesture?
They are enormous because when we give it to a family, everybody benefits from it. They put food on the tables; all we just want to do is stop this notion that if you don’t kiss somebody’s ass, you won’t be able to put food on your table. It’s just for them to be self-dependent, that’s my drive, that’s my own goal, it’s apolitical! We even enrolled some people in the Osun Health Insurance Scheme (OHIS).
